I am a quilt designer/teacher/author, a wife/mother/grandmother, and certified yoga instructor who is searching for balance, strength, and happiness in all things.
Gravity is one of those things that we all know in a common sense sort of way. Objects fall. Heavy objects fall faster. However, according to the laws of physics, objects fall at the same rate if they are in a vacuum. That is really hard to believe which is why this video is so much fun!
British physicist Brian Cox, filming for his new BBC 2 show, Human Universe, he traveled visited the NASA Space Power Facility in Ohio, to drop a bowling ball and feathers in a vacuum chamber. Initially, with air in the chamber, the bowling ball drops like a rock (or bowling ball) and the feathers float, resisting the air. Later, with the air removed, they drop at exactly the same rate. Cool.
It really is true that a feather and a bowling ball will fall at the same rate in a vacuum!
I’m about to send a newsletter, but if you aren’t on that list, you won’t get the news! Firstly, Linda’s last quilt auction of 2014 is up and running. Click here or in the menu bar, above, to see the quilts. There is a link to email Linda to make a bid or ask questions.
Next up, those two cute elves are Christmas ornaments and there’s a FREE pattern for you!
I made 26 of these little guys to give as presents to family and friends. This is the first year in memory when I’ve finished my ornaments before December 15th and I have you all to thank for that. I had to finish them to be able to put together the FREE pattern that I promised to have ready ‘soon’. Deadlines are good for me :-).
Click here to find the Perky Elf Ornament pattern. Once there, click the picture and the pattern will open in your browser window. You can print the pattern or save it (it’s PDF file) to your computer.
I subscribe to Chuck Green’s Design Briefing newsletter. The newsletter itself is full of links to interesting design site. In newsletter #186, the first was the link I clicked on took me to the Gallica, the digital library of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.
The site is (of course!), in French which makes navigating it a bit more of a mystery, but it was fun to click around.
There are all sorts of images, maps, and much more. I clicked through many of the Fantastic Creatures from maps…
I have no idea where I might use any of these images, but it is fun to browse because you never know exactly where inspiration might come from. That said, when you visit a site like this, it’s always good to find out how you can use the images. The site says that the non-commercial use of the contents is free of charge, subject to compliance with the current legislation and the inclusion of the source’s statement. The commercial use of the contents is subject to payment and covered by a license.
Chuck Green also linked to Robert Newman, who reviews contemporary magazine covers at Folio blog. He has an impressive design bio. The newsletter link took me here, where Mr. Newman was reviewing the cover of Lucky Peach magazine. It is worth reading because what it true for foodie magazine covers it also true for quilts if you want your quilt to stand out from the crowd.
As I was writing this post, I went back to Lucky Peach only to find the newest cover and darned if the cover, all by itself, didn’t make me subscribe! I hope I like it :-). If nothing else, I’ll enjoy the covers!
I love it when the comics hit close to home. Janet, who commented on my last post, is not the only one with a paper issue. I often just close my eyes and pray I won’t need what goes in the trash. Or the shredder.
And I do love to see sewing machines on the funny pages :-)…
Which reminded me of the most impressive Halloween costume I ever made. It was for Jef who went as a Ninja Turtle in the late 1980’s. He sure was cute!
I went to a lovely open house event recently. The house was was perfectly decorated and almost zen-like in its overall lack of clutter. There was art on the walls but very few objects on surfaces. What was on display was more interesting because there was not much competing eye candy.
Ms. Kondo’s decluttering theories are unique, and can be reduced to two basic tenets: Discard everything that does not “spark joy,” after thanking the objects that are getting the heave-ho for their service; and do not buy organizing equipment — your home already has all the storage you need.
I was in the mood to de-clutter anyway but all of this sent me over the edge. For the last many days I have given away, boxed up, and thrown out extraneous objects that no longer make me happy. Elanor and Jack claimed some things, which was nice. The house feels happier—for sure, I feel happier :-).
Steve is slightly mystified by all of this tidying activity because he was around for the years when I enjoyed acquiring stuff. Thankfully, he’s happy with less clutter. And, in the spirit of being tidy, we are not leaving stuff out on the kitchen counters. The kitchen is his space so this is a team effort. Dishes are washed (not left in the sink) and put up rather than being left to dry on a towel on the counter. The kitchen wasn’t a big mess before, but it’s so very nice now!
In addition to all of the this, I watched the video that was linked to in the NY Times article.
I have vowed to be a better folder. The sock drawers came first:
The closet shelves were next:
Everyday, I’m refolding a little bit more, and it feels so very good! We can’t control much in our lives, but being tidy gives me a sense of control, and orderliness, that calms my spirit.
I found this image on tumblr. Cool, isn’t it? I would never have thought to turn books backwards on the shelves but the design is so wonderfully graphic… although you would have a really hard time finding the book you want :-).
This would also be a fun, and easy, idea for a pieced quilt!
Piece O Cake Blog 